Office Hours 7 AM - 3:30 PM

913.993.7200

Attendance

Attendance Hotline 913.993.7245 (All Day)

Attendance Office 913.993.7242 (Partial Day)

Email: lisagruman@smsd.org

Dear Northwest Community,

This has been an exciting week as our fall sports are in regional and state competitions. We are excited to host State for gymnastics on Saturday. Last Saturday, one of our NW tennis doubles teams placed 11th at State! Our cross country and volleyball teams are in regional play. Football and soccer are closing our their regular seasons this week. Take a moment to listen to the Everyday Orange podcast to hear from tennis, cross country, and our head football coach, Bo Black! Our theater program is opening their fall play, Shuddersome, on Thursday night. This is the perfect season for Tales from Poe and we hope you can join us at 7pm tonight, Friday, or Saturday.

This has been a busy week and we are excited to see how are students are progressing with their learning from first quarter until now. We have support structures in place for any students who are struggling in their classes. Academic Enrichment is available to all students after school from 2:50 to 3:50 pm. We have staff tutors available across multiple content areas. A late bus is available for students in the Northwest attendance area. We have additional supports during the school day for students, so please reach out to your student's counselor if you have any concerns.

Please see the information below about the Financial Aid night at SMNW on October 30th. I would also encourage families of freshmen and sophomores to attend the informational night about our International Baccalaureate program on November 7th - please see below for more information.

Student Council is hosting a Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 26 at 3:00 pm in the West parking lot. Help us spread the word as there will be fun games and activities along with the treats!

We want to thank our PTSA for the wonderful staff appreciation dinner last Wednesday night before conferences! We also enjoyed the staff treats from first quarter - thank you to all of our families that provided donations. We are so grateful for the support PTSA shows to our staff. There is additional information in the PTSA notes below.

We have some exciting events forthcoming in November. Our Student Council will be leading the Canned Food Drive to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. Stay tuned for some exciting events during this week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa Gruman

October 24, 25, 26, 2024 - Fall REP Mainstage

October 29, 2024 - Chamber Orchestra Concert - 7pm - NW Auditorium

November 1, 2024 - No School

November 11, 2024 - NHS Inductions

November 14, 2024 - NW Area Choral Festival - 7 pm - NW Auditorium

November 21, 2024 - NW Area Orchestra Festival - 7pm - SMNW Gym

This option is for reporting all day absences and late arrivals only.

When requesting an early dismissal please call 913-993-7242 or email jamieprosser@smsd.org

Zach Cash A-D zacharycash@smsd.org

Barb Legate E-J barbaralegate@smsd.org

Katie Cole K-Pe katherinecole@smsd.org

Jessica Andrade Pf-R (ELL) jessicaandrade@smsd.org

Jordan Landis S-U jordanlandis@smsd.org

Erica Jablonski V-Z (RWL) ericajablonski@smsd.org

Join us for a presentation from the UMKC Financial Aid Office on the FAFSA and the different forms of financial aid that can help your student pay for school!

**There will be Spanish interpretation available. Email jailynstewart@smsd.org with any questions

Please see the SMNW STUDENT SERVICES WEBSITE for more information on the following Real World Learning events!

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Shawnee Mission Northwest is a fantastic way to help them prepare! With a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world skills, the IB program equips students with tools that will benefit them far beyond high school. Plus, they can earn college credit, helping them meet the Market Value Asset requirement for graduation.

We invite all freshman and sophomore families to an informational meeting on Thursday, November 7, at 6:30 PM in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Library. This is a great opportunity to learn how the IB program works, which courses your student should take to stay on track, and how the program can open doors to honors programs and scholarship opportunities.

For more information, contact Amy Walker, IB Coordinator at Shawnee Mission Northwest, at nwwalker@smsd.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

Visit the PTSA website for the October PTSA Newsletter!

Fall Spirit Wear Sale

Our fall spirit wear sale is going on now through November 1! Check our our great selection of hoodies, crews, tees, hats, pants, outerwear, accessories, and more. Get your order in and show your Cougar spirit! Don't forget - NW gear makes great holiday gifts! Find the link on the PTSA website.

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our October staff appreciation dinner! This week we provided an amazing Italian feast prior Wednesday's evening conferences. We are grateful for the support in showing appreciation to our hard-working SNMW staff!

PIES PIES PIES

Our annual pie sales will begin this Friday! Order pies for November Staff Appreciation and/or your family's Thanksgiving feast! Details and links will be available on the PTSA website.

ALL-SPORT PASSES NOW AVAILABLE FOR 24-25 SMNW ATHLETICS

All Sports Passes are now available for purchase! All ticket sales including the All Sports Pass are available digitally through GoFan!

All Sports Passes are ONLY available in the digital format. You will have access to your All Sports Pass through the GoFan platform throughout the entire school year. There are two types of individual sports passes:

(1) Individual Sports Pass–Adult: Admits one adult with the cost being $75

(2) Individual Sports Pass–Student: Admits one person, who is not a SMNW student (with valid ID) to get into games. Please remember that all individuals grades K-12 are considered students. Cost is $50

The Shawnee Mission Northwest All Sports Pass allows you to pre-purchase your admission to Shawnee Mission Northwest regular season home regular season athletic events. This convenient option can allow for quicker access by eliminating the need for cash at the entrance gates. The All Sports Passes are not valid for KSHSAA post-season events and regular season tournaments hosted by Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

In summary, two different passes available:

Individual Pass–Adults are $75.00

Individual Pass–Students are – $50

See below to order your individual passes today. For questions contact the SMNW Athletic Office at 913-993-7400 or email angelogiacalone@smsd.org

SMNW All Sport Pass

As fall sports start to wind down, and winter starts to come into season, we want to keep our parents, athletes, and others throughout the community informed.

The playoffs for football are around the corner and many questions are being asked about winter sports. We are hopeful that you enjoy our latest edition for the EveryDay Champion Newsletter. Keep up with all the schedule information and other pertinent areas to “keep you in the know.” If questions regarding athletics/activities you can reach out by emailing Mr. Giacalone, angelogiacalone@smsd.org, or Mrs. Alvey, victoriaalvey@smsd.org or you can reach out by phone at 913-993-7400.

EveryDay Champion Newsletter Week of Oct. 28

Subscribe to Shawnee Mission Northwest’s national award-winning student-run newspaper, the Northwest Passage! A $20 year-long subscription will get you an issue delivered directly to your house every month and will help cover the cost of printing and operations of the publication. The newspaper, which has been publishing for 54 years, covers all things Northwest, from sports to the arts to classes and everything in between. The paper is routinely a NSPA Pacemaker Winner, naming it one of the top 15 student newspapers in the country.

To subscribe, sign up with this Google Form: https://forms.gle/L4DESESc5b5sLdx26

For any questions about this, please email adviser Chris Heady at christopherheady@smsd.org.

Senior Parents: Senior ads are open for purchase right now. We will close them off early in the second semester. Here is the link to purchase and upload photos and text for us to design:

https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/LaBX1JdcUsjybDQKQlVUKd7B

Your SMNW student may be missing KS state required immunizations. These may include any Meningitis ACWY for Juniors 16 years or older (this is a 2-dose shot and the first should have been received in 7th grade) or they may be missing other state required immunizations. If this is the case please see the attachment for an upcoming immunization clinic at the health department.

Thank you, Nurse Wendy Woods

Please provide proof of vaccination to the nurse aid or I. You can email this to myself at wendywoods@smsd.org or the nurse aid Brenda Renteria at brendarenteria@smsd.org.

Please turn any athletic papers to the athletic secretary in the main office.

I would also like to introduce our new health office nurse aid Brenda Renteria; she will be helping with vaccinations, paperwork and everyday office needs.

Feel free to email or call with any questions or concerns about your student’s health or vaccine needs! You can reach me, Wendy Woods (nurse) at 913-993-7216 or Brenda Renteria (nurse aid) at 913-993-7606.

Thank you,
Wendy Woods, RN, BSN, MSN

NW Nurse

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/illness

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/medication

• https://www.smsd.org/about/departments/health-services/immunizations-physicals